The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1887-02-16

Old Schwandhofer was one of the
wealtllicst farmers in the canton. He
had once been straight and strong as tho
tower of his farm. Only the weight of
his seventy years had been able to bend
him, but he had been humbled by their
power; he could not walk without the
help of IL cane and his hands trcmbled;
his will alone remained solid. and direct
ell everything in the house. Ills wife
was his worthy companion. She had
been twenty. he forty years of age whan
they were married. He had cared well
for her. had brought her up from a child
and loved her as woman.
Now, it was she that was really the
man, and he the child. 1t had taken the
old farmer very long time to under
stand that the will of his wife had be-
come strong by comparison with his
own; that she had learned both to think
and to act as he did. People said that
they owned a good deal of money. SQne
even s'lid that money owned them. En-
vious people. of course-such as exist in
all parts of the world.
The old couple had never done harm to
any one; but they had no heart; none of
that heart which does so much good in
the world. and so much evil likewise.
The birth of their SON ought to have
changed them n little; but it was too
late-their feelings had been dried, up.
They only felt the joy of interest; they
neither knew how to love him nor to
make themselves loved by him. The
young man was upright of character like
his parentj; but he was also lleadstrong
and stern like they were.
Old Schwandhofer was certainly not
inclined of his own free will to make
n. A-sI
ant cedes his property, he too often
yields mp his liberty as we'll; he becomes
mere drudge, the servant of his own
son: sometimes almost beggar, obliged
to ask for bread in the very house which
he himself built. '.Flori is too young, -
he thought; "when young men are
masters. tlscy arc apt to live too high,
and to think of nothing except showing
that they are masters; they eat up all
they have very soon. and more, tool"
So old Schwandhofcr used to say.
But one day the village magistrate said
to him: "Fiori is 81; ind with such q
frame as he has, tley'n Il soon bc wanting
to make a cUirassier ont of him. If you
want to save him from becoming a SOL
dier, you II have to make all the property
over to him.
1t WAS the wife that suffered most at
hearing this. Size did not want to
let the farm go; but she did not want
Iler son to go either. Then the husband
said: We've got to make up our minds
to do it. I'm going to make the farm
over to the boy: but 1 II make him un5ler-
stand that cession of property doesn't
mem cession of mastery"
And this was the state of affairs on
that day when Flori came back from the
woods. He opened the door. and entered
tho house. with proud gait; he felt that
he he'd Become man. He wanted to
speak to the old man at once, and lie did
not feel afraid to do it.
The old couple are seated in their best
rodm-tlleir council clianber-the apart
nlent from which all orders art issued.
&c is reclining in an easy chair with a
c'1slion behind his head: she sits upon
the stove bench. She is singular
woman. When he speaks, she rennains
silent and waits until he has finished he
fore giving her own opinion. 1t often
happens their opinions are as opposite as
'.yes" is to mo; IN such eases she
, slways makes the first small advance;